


Stutter

by vicewithavice



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU - Modern Setting, First Date, M/M, fully grown men who blush like school girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-08-14
Packaged: 2018-02-13 03:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2134857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vicewithavice/pseuds/vicewithavice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi decides he's going to ask Erwin on a date.<br/>Erwin decides he's going to ask Levi on a date.</p>
<p>It should be so much easier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stutter

**Author's Note:**

> I can't get over the "old men acting like shy teenagers" trope I'm in too deep.
> 
> I'm on tumblr! vicewithavice.tumblr.com

Levi's been sitting in this dingy basement for hours, proofreading the hastily written documents handed to him by sleep deprived law students. He feels bad for them, typing up draft after draft in this hell-hole, but they just need to write one goddamn contract without any spelling mistakes or formatting errors. He needs a beer. He needs five beer and a greasy basket of comfort food. 

 

That's when Erwin texts him, asks him if he wants to hit up the pint and wings special at the pub down the block.

 

"You beautiful bastard," Levi mutters to himself, the promise of awful bar food his sole motivator in not kicking the obsolete printer into powder. 

 

Now Levi has no excuse not to ask Erwin on a date, a real, official, romantic, one on one date, but he can't tell if he's happy about it or not. On one hand, their huge, high profile murder case opens tomorrow, and Erwin is probably freaking out in his own way, reading his documents over and over alone in his office, and things will be so stressful for the next weeks or months he's not sure if dating will hold any appeal to Erwin. 

 

On the other hand, he knows many different ways to relieve stress, and he'd be happy to show Erwin any or all them.

 

The real problem is that Levi has never asked anyone out.

 

Ever.

 

In all his thirty-some years, Levi has had boyfriends, sure, but he's never been the one to instigate the relationship. Levi's strength lies in law (Erwin often assures him he could be a great lawyer if he was willing to go to school. He's not); it's black and white, not much room for interpretation. Dating is the opposite. No right way to do anything, many ways to offend someone, come off as too interested or not interested enough. Nothing but variables.

 

He's not completely sure if Erwin feels the same, but Hanji's dropped enough hints and Levi sometimes catches Erwin looking at him when he thinks Levi's not paying attention. It's a calculated risk, one that Levi feels mostly comfortable taking. He doesn't think about what will happen if Erwin says no.

 

"Are we almost done?"

 

Levi forgot that Hanji is sprawled out on the table, carelessly glancing through piles of papers in an attempt at proof-reading them. Levi makes a mental note to go through them when he gets a chance. 

 

 "Who are you texting over there, Mr. Hollywood?" Hanji's bored as hell. She gets so nosy when there's nothing to distract her.

 

"Erwin," Levi grunts, setting his phone down for good. 

 

Hanji snorts. "What, he can't come down here to talk?" She wiggles around the table, trying to get a glimpse at Levi's phone. She nearly falls off, stretching her arm out to grab it when Levi has his back turned.

 

"It's nothing, Hanji. Just supper plans."

 

"And I guess I'm not allowed to come." She says with a mock-offended voice, putting a hand to her chest in shock.

 

"No, you're not."

 

"Alright. I see how it is." She slides off the table and slinks away to the stairs.

 

"Where are you going?" Levi yells after her. He hates being alone here with the zombie students and malfunctioning printer.

 

"I'm taking a piss."

 

Levi sighs and turns back to the documents, but he can't focus anymore and finds himself reading the same line again and again. 

 

He said he'd be here until nine. He should be here until nine, but does enough for this firm so he makes the executive decision to leave early. It's not like he was going to accomplish much with his mind to wrapped up in tonight, and he wants time to make himself look nice before going on their date.

 

Supper. Not date. Supper.

 

***

 

Erwin: Hey Levi. Free tonight?

 

Levi: Yeah. I've got some stuff to take care of but I'll be done around 9. What's up?

 

Erwin: Nothing important. Just meet me at the bar around 10? There's a pint & wings special tonight.

 

Levi: Sounds good. 

 

Levi: by the way there's something I want to talk to you about tonight.

 

Erwin: Oh?

 

Levi: It's nothing bad. 

 

Erwin: I'm intrigued. 

 

Levi doesn't answer after that, so Erwin sticks his phone into his pocket and rises from his desk, stretching as he does. He's been stuck on his ass for hours, going over and over all the documents he'll need for the big court case tomorrow, and even though he's been through them before, he can't help but worry he missed something. Those irrational thoughts always strike him before a case; the best thing he can do for himself is get out of the office and try his best to relax.

 

There's a knock at the door and Hanji peaks her head in. "Hey boss. I'm ordering you to go home  for the night." She says it with a laugh, but Erwin knows if he tried to disobey she'd haul him over her shoulder and physically remove him from the building. She's the best paralegal he's ever had. 

 

Erwin holds his hands out. "I'm already up, don't worry." He quickly packs a few essentials into his briefcase and snaps it shut. "That goes for you and Levi as well, I don't want you here too late."

 

"We won't be. We're just getting some stuff going for the other case. Won't be too long." She makes to leave but stops herself with a hand on the doorframe. She's got that look in her eye, the glimmer that shines out behind her glasses. Last time he saw that, Hanji had completely changed the order of all the files in the building, causing a lot of confusion at first until everyone realized it was a much better system. Erwin waits, apprehensive.

 

"Levi said you two were going out tonight." She stares down Erwin, reading his face. "Is this it? Are you done chickening out?"

 

"It's just supper," Erwin states calmly, which he himself doesn't believe. If it was just supper, he wouldn't have this horrible nauseous feeling in his stomach coupled with a fantastic, giggly school girl sensibility. He feels bad, keeping things from Hanji, especially when she's played such a big part in giving Erwin the courage to make this night happen.

 

But she's a terrible liar, and Erwin doesn't want Levi to know beforehand that tonight, Erwin's going to ask him out.

 

***

 

 

In his youth, Erwin knew exactly what to say to make others swoon. He had women and men eating out of his palm, all but begging for the chance to go home with him. Even after he'd come out in college, in the fantastic world of no adult supervision and gay mixers at steamy bars, Erwin had never been the type to sleep around. He used his charm to talk even the most notorious and handsome man eaters into a serious, monogamous relationship, or to help the shy, nerdy, closeted teacher's aide open up to his sexuality.

 

But then law school happened, and immediately after, a position at one of the cities' top firms, and suddenly Erwin realized one night that it had been three years since he last went on a date, and even longer since he'd had sex.

 

He sits in the pub now, trying not to think about how three years turned into five, and praying that his charm would come back to him like riding a bicycle. The Erwin in college would have it all planned out: arrive early so Levi wouldn't feel awkward sitting by himself (Erwin had arrived early, but that was mostly so he could pound back a pint to loosen up before Levi shows up), tell Levi he looks wonderful and back it up with specific examples ("the cut of your shirt makes your collarbones look sexy," Erwin should have told Levi earlier), and then treat Levi to a night of work-free, easy chatter. The night would end with a kiss for sure, possibly more.

 

As he tries memorizing his steps for success, Levi walks through the door, and the small pep talk he'd given himself flies directly out his ears.

 

"Hi Levi," Erwin says, awkwardly stooping out of his seat to stand as Levi walks over, then deciding against it halfway through. "You look…. how was work?"

 

That's the high point of the first hour.

 

During the time they're seated at the table, Erwin knocks his pint onto himself, Levi stubbornly eats a basket of hot wings so hot his eyes water and his nose runs, and Hanji just happens to run into them, finding a seat only a few feet away and staring directly at them. Levi has to drag her onto the street.

 

They should go home. Levi knows it, Erwin knows it. Erwin can try again later, after court some time, maybe take him somewhere else. But determination keeps him in his seat, he's not going to give up yet. He remembers that Levi had mentioned needing to talk to him about something, so he brings it up at the same time Levi starts talking.

 

"Sorry." Erwin says, nodding at Levi. "You go."

 

"No, it's okay. You can start."

 

This is so awkward. Usually time spent with Levi is so natural, whether they're talking about moral complications at work or just chatting about nothing. It should be so easy but it isn't. 

 

And he notices that Levi is different, fluctuating between overly chatty and quiet as the dead, and of course Erwin notices that he looks great in a v-neck and jeans but he the outfit is so casual he can't tell if Levi just threw them on or purposefully picked the most flattering clothes he owns. Occasionally, it looked as though Levi was on the verge of saying something. He plays with his lip when he does it, bites it slightly so as to be extraordinarily distracting to Erwin, who stutters each time it happens. 

 

"You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

 

"Right, yeah. Right." Levi sets his glass down and Erwin can't remember if this is his third or fourth drink, but the beer is taking effect on him now. Levi's certainly not falling off the stool, as far as he knows Levi's never been completely drunk, but there's an adorable blush rising to his cheeks, and his voice sounds just different enough that no one else would notice, but Erwin does. 

 

He notices so much about Levi.

 

"I've been thinking," Levi starts, pausing to down the last swigs of beer, "about, you know, things and shit."

 

Erwin nods, waiting for him to continue. 

 

"Things like us, and how we just get along so well even though you're this educated, charming, handsome guy and I'm me.  And even though I'm me you hired me without anything even close to related to the job on my resume and you trusted me and I kind of thought you were a dick at first, to be honest."

 

Erwin isn't even offended, he's enjoying listening to Levi ramble on so much.

 

"Like, the way you wear those suits even when it's ninety degrees outside because you own so many fucking suits it doesn't even matter if you get sweat stains on one, and you get so intense sometimes, like just so into your case that I can't even talk to you about anything else. It was actually pretty annoying. Oh shit. I'm fucking this up."

 

He runs a hand through his hair, thoroughly looking at everything in the room except for Erwin. "Fuck. But even though you do all that, and sometimes I think you're doing the wrong thing, I always trust you because you're a genuinely good guy with so much respect for everyone even though you're rich and hot -fuck- I mean. Yeah. What I'm trying to say is I really like spending time with you and I think we should spend more time together officially."

 

At this point, Levi is talking directly to his empty cup, and Erwin's focused right on Levi. He knows what this is; half his job is turning rambling and convoluted testimony into a cohesive narrative. Even still, he can't stop himself from grinning like a maniac when he says:

 

"Yes."

 

Levi's head shoots up and Erwin finally gets to see his face again. He looks so confused it could almost be mistaken for disgust. "What?"

 

"Yes," Erwin says again, fingers itching to grab Levi's but finding them still attached to the glass. "I could say so much about how I've wanted you for so long, but first we need to get out of here."

 

He throws a handle of bills on the table and stands, chair screeching loudly behind him, waiting for Levi's body to catch up with his brain. They nearly knock a waitress over on the way out of the bar, and when they meet fresh air Erwin tugs Levi into the alley, only barely in the refuge of shade. 

 

If Erwin's coming on too strong, Levi's happy to pick up the pace. He makes the first move, lifting onto his tip toes and crashing a kiss onto Erwin's mouth. Erwin doesn't try to hide how ecstatic he is to be here in the dank alley with Levi. He pulls the man in closer, trying to feel every inch. There's so much he wants to do: press gentle kisses on Levi's button nose, feel the knots in his broad shoulders dissolve under Erwin's fingers, watch his toned torso stretch and flex as he lifts his shirt over his head. 

 

Feeling the heat of Levi's mouth has always been number one on the list. His fingers press into Levi's waist and he slides his tongue between Levi's wet lips. This physical closeness is more than Erwin ever expected, but it isn't quenching his thirst for touch, it's feeding it.  Slowly, he slides his hands under Levi's shirt, just feeling the smooth skin under his palms. It's as far as he dare go for now, at least in public, but even the combination of Levi's lips and skin and smell is driving positively indecent thoughts into his head. He doesn't even feel ashamed that he can feel himself getting hard just from kissing.

 

Not that Levi would have the right to judge him. 

 

The last thing they need is to be caught making out in an alleyway like a couple of hormone ridden teenagers, and Erwin does consider stopping things here before they lose control, but his attempt at pulling away earns a small, adorable whimper from Levi and a sharp claw around the back of his neck.

 

"We should move this elsewhere," Erwin says, head forced forward as Levi plants small, distracting kisses over his neck and jaw. "We should- ah- head to my place."

 

"I'll come back with you," Levi agrees, his voice distorted and buzzing as mouths along Erwin's ear. "But you should know I made a promise to my self to never put out on the first date."

 

Even if all they do all night is kiss, even if they don't get past heavy hands on wrinkled clothes, he'll be happy just to have spent the night with Levi.

 

"But technically," Levi says, his voice all mischief. "We weren't on a date tonight."

 

Once more, Erwin finds himself blindly digging through his wallet before throwing some bills at the cab driver, completely unaware how big the tip is, but certain the man deserves it for tolerating all they had subjected him to on the ride back home. 


End file.
